Remember the sacrifice as you celebrate the Fourth of July
Published: June 29, 2009
Updated: June 29, 2009
As we celebrate our Independence Day this July Fourth, I ask that you take a little extra time to think about the great courage and enormous risk to their lives, their families’ lives and the property of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Think about the great risk and sacrifice made by George Washington and his military and the great success (in the battles that counted) by that small, ill-equipped Continental Army. Think about their final assault at Yorktown — weapons not loaded, only bayonets fixed on their weapons; ropes and ladders in hand as they moved forward at night in the face of the British Army. (If you think seriously about their risk, pain and sacrifice, I am sure your eyes will tear up.)
The sacrifice did not stop at Yorktown! Our military has had to continue the battle in one part of this world or another to defend our democracy and way of life.
Today in our present conflicts, Virginia has lost almost 200 lives and our nation about 5,000. That is a tremendous sacrifice by those families, wives, kids, mothers and fathers.
I am asking you to take a little extra time to think about the enormous risk and sacrifice by those who gave so much for this great nation, you and I. I am asking you to think while you can, because what they risked and died for just might be slipping away, right before your eyes.
Victor King
Orange
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Reader Reactions
You can’t really talk about the decisive victory at Yorktown without the contribution of the French who had nearly as many troops in the siege as the Americans. In fact it was a French general who convinced Washington to attack the British there rather than in New York.
I’ve never heard of anything about American only having unloaded weapons. Hard to imagine you could defeat the British with only bayonets. But Oct. 19, 1781, was the surrender. Seems like that date should get a little more notice than it does.
But then you go on to say: “The sacrifice did not stop at Yorktown! Our military has had to continue the battle in one part of this world or another to defend our democracy and way of life.“
I think most of the rest of the world would prefer that our military spend more time closer to home defending our democracy.
But then you have to close with a thinly-veiled partisan slam on President Obama. How about keeping on subject.
Good luck with this, Mr. King. Our society has a selective memory and revisionist history addiction. While slavery and the holocaust are never ending in social and political thought; too many have forgotten 9/11, much less getting them to remember the real dangers of how this country was founded and crafted. I agree with your article - people should remember just how lucky we are that the men (and women) who formed our country were who they were and patterned our government after England’s even though they were committing treason at the time. We have been fortunate and blessed as a nation to have had that beginning and the few who lived and live up to that heritage through time (WWI forward through today). Without them - their daily sacrifices, strength and courage - where would the rest of us be?
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